FIELD NOTES TALKS TECHNOLOGY, SUSTAINABILITY WITH MISSOURI FARMER

OCTOBER 2012

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(Posted Tue. Oct 9th, 2012)

The National Corn Growers Association continues the second season of Field Notes, a series that takes readers behind the farm gate to follow the year in the life of American farm families. While these growers come from diverse geographic areas and run unique operations, they share a common love for U.S. agriculture and the basic values that underpin life in farming communities.

Field Notes caught up with Billy Thiel, a Missouri farmer currently completing his soybean harvest. With his corn crop already harvested, Thiel has begun working the soil to prepare for next year.

While he explains what precisely that entails, he notes that he no longer tills much of his ground, instead using a practice called no-till farming. This practice, which decreases erosion, builds fertile top soil and cuts down on the amount of fuel used, has allowed him to improve his land and farm more sustainably while simultaneously improving his bottom line.